Labor participation rate in Australia
Australia: Labor participation rate was 66.54 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
66.54
Change on year
down 0.3%
World rank
50th
of 186 countries
All-time high
67.02
in 2023
All-time low
62.6
in 1993
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Labor participation rate in Australia, 1990–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for labor participation rate in Australia is 66.54, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 0.3% on the previous year and up 2.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor participation rate in Australia peaked at 67.02 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 62.6, in 1993.
That places Australia 50th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Labor participation rate in Australia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 63.89 | — |
| 1991 | 63.28 | -1.0% |
| 1992 | 63 | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 62.6 | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 63.08 | +0.8% |
| 1995 | 63.68 | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 63.65 | -0.0% |
| 1997 | 63.26 | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 63.13 | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 62.91 | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 63.28 | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 63.44 | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 63.51 | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 63.72 | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 63.58 | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 64.51 | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 64.85 | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 65.28 | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 65.56 | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 65.5 | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 65.48 | -0.0% |
| 2011 | 65.51 | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 65.25 | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 65.03 | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 64.79 | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 65.08 | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 64.95 | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 65.25 | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 65.8 | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 66.09 | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 65.03 | -1.6% |
| 2021 | 66.15 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 66.89 | +1.1% |
| 2023 | 67.02 | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 66.72 | -0.5% |
| 2025 | 66.54 | -0.3% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 66.54 is above the median for high income countries, which is 62.28, 1.1× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Australia's 66.54 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 64.35, 1.0× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 63.25 | 62.6 | 63.89 | 10 |
| 2000s | 64.32 | 63.28 | 65.56 | 10 |
| 2010s | 65.32 | 64.79 | 66.09 | 10 |
| 2020s | 66.39 | 65.03 | 67.02 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More work & labour data for Australia
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.5057 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.4907 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.5202 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.9895 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.8931 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 30,186 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 3,001 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 21,642 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 21,502 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 43,144 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor participation rate in Australia?
- Labor participation rate in Australia was 66.54 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest labor participation rate recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 67.02 in 2023.
- What is the lowest labor participation rate recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 62.6 in 1993.
- How does Australia rank for labor participation rate?
- Australia ranks 50th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor participation rate rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Labor participation rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).